Powder actuated tool



Jan. 16, 1962 R. MARSH ETAL POWDER AcTuATED TooL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune 25, 1957 fu. PW MHHDlN N NR un WTA sm J n WM W u WT m RAR o ELLE.@Wb .n OOO RRR Y B Jan. 16, 1962 R. MARSH ETAL 3,016,539

POWDER ACTUATED TOOL Filed June 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 polywuozoe-:,iirlzllene INVENTORS? ROGER MARW By QOWLANO J. KOPF R055 T w. HENNINO2" United States Patent Giifie 3,(ll6539 Patented Jan. 16, 19623,016,539 FWDER ACTUATED TUL Roger Marsh, Hudson, Rowland J. Kopf, RockyRiver,

and Robert W. Henning, Fairview Parli, hio, assignors to lin MathiesonChemical Corporation, Cleveland, Shin, a corporation` of Virginia Fitted.lune 25, 1957, Ser. No. 667,807 Claims. (Cl. 1--44.5)

This invention relates to tools for driving various work members such ashammers, punches, cutters or fasteners including studs, pins and thelike into Wood, steel, masonry or concrete and more particularly relatesto such tools actuated by an explosive cartridge.

The type of tools contemplated includes various kinds such as thefastener drivers shown in U.S. Patent l,365,- S69 and also more recentlyin co-pending U.S. patent application, Serial No. 355,034, filed May 14,1953, now US. Patent No. 2,945,236, granted July 19, 1960; and theinvention will be described with reference -to the latter. it is to beunderstood, however, that the utility of this invention is not to belimited to that or any other particular type of explosive actuated tooland that it may be applicable to various other explosive tools such asthe hammer and/ or punch shown in US. Patient 2,221,157, for exampie.

In the operation of various tools of the explosive operated type, andparticularly the fastener driving tools, one disadvantage is thepossibility of the inadvertent projection of a fastener into free flightwith sufficient velocity so as to he dangerous. Another disadvantage ofsuch tools has been inability to accurately control the power impartedto drive the working element. Still another disadvantage has been thedifficulty of cartridge extraction and the resultant reduction in speedof operation.

A particular object of the present invention is the provision of ablank-cartridge actuated tool having a workmember-carrying piston or ramadapted to hold such member captive at least until the workingoperation, such as fastener driving, has been accomplished safelywithout danger of such member overpenetrating or escaping into freeiiight. Another object is to provide a powder actuated tool wherein thedriving force may be varied with ease to suit the resistance encounteredso as to drive the work members such as a fastener, satisfactorily aswell `as safely. Still another object is to provide such a toolcharacterized by greater reliability and safety as well as greater easeof operation than heretofore available. A further object is to provideexplosive operated tools characterized by easy insertion and detachmentof a fastener, punch or cutter and with a new and improved cartridgeextractor.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved bythe provision of an apparatus comprising a barrel, a piston or ramslideably mounted in the barrel having means for carrying the workingmember of the tool in captive relationship and a specific arrangementfor operating the piston so as to accomplish not only positioning of theparts in a desired ready-to-lire station and for work member attachmentor detachment but also accomplish ejection of the spent cartridge case.These objects and advantages of the invention will be more readilyunderstood from a description of a specific embodiment and theaccompanying drawing of the same wherein:

FlGURE l is a side elevational View, partially in crosssection, showingan explosive operated fastener driving tool generally of the typedescribed in the aforementioned patent application, but modified inaccordance with one preferred embodiment of this invention, with thetool down at the fired position partly lifted from the Work surface loand in position for separation of the tool from the driven fastener;

FiGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in cross section at themuzzle of the tool at the moment of driving to illustrate the captivecondition of an overdriven fastener and just before the conditionillustrated in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View of a modified construction ofthe projectile safety piston illustrating a stage of operation similarto that shown in FIGURE 1, i.e., at the ready-to-extricate position, orat the tired condition regardless of Whether the fastener has beendriven or the tool has for some reason or other been inadvertentlyoperated in the absence of any work surface it? in abutment with themuzzle of the tool;

FIGURE 4 is an end view taken on line IV--IV of FIGURE 3;

FiGURE 5 is a semi-diagrammatic view of one stage of one mode ofoperation of the tool of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 6 is a semi-diagrammatic view of a stage of operation followingthat of FlGURE 5; j

FIGURE 7 is another side elevational view, partially in cross section,illustrating another mode of operation of the tool of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a modified version of apart of the tool modified in accordance with a still further embodimentand suitable for stiil another mode of operation;

yFIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view in cross section showing stillfurther form of ram front end preferred for heavy duty operation;

FIGURE 10 is a plan view of the end of the ram shown in FIGURE 9; and

FlGURE 11 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing still anothermodication. l

In accordance with this invention, there is provided an arrangement ofparts and novel construction of certain of the parts and specificallythe provision of a tool having a primary member or element projectingbarrel, a projectable high velocity piston or follower member, hereindesignated as the ram or piston adapted to carry the primary member,such as a fastener in controlled relationship, and an axially movablemember for position ing and/or retracting the piston member so as toinliuence the control. This member takes the form of a slide or sleeve.The barrel is arranged to slideably carry a part of the piston member,one part of which carries the element in detachable captive relationwhile another part is mounted in relatively movable relationship withthe positioning member which in turn vis carried in another par-t of thebarrel.

The control exercised is with respect to the attachment retention andextrication of the primary element or fastener in relationship to thetool and, as desired, also with respect to the level of power acting toproject the primary element. A still further function performable withthis arrangement is the accomplishment of extraction of the powercartridge.

Specically one embodiment of this invention involves reception of adrivable fastener in a velocity ram in captive relationship, receptionof part of the ram into an adjustable positioning sleeve in captiverelationship and reception in turn of the sleeve in captive relationshipwith respect to the direction of driving in a bore portion o-f anexplosive cartridge operated driver. The sleeve is mounted to havelimited reciprocatability in each bore portion with respect to thebarrel of the driver; and the ram is also mounted to have limitedreciprocation. Abutments on the barrel, sleeve and ram coact to providemechanical interconnections acting not only to limit movement and holdcertain parts at least forwardly captive, but also to couple the ram andsleeve together for retraction as will be more specifically described inconnection with the embodiments illustrated. In particular there isprovided an inwardly extending ange or shoulder means on the sleeve foracting with mating shoulder means on the ram.

The interconnected ram and sleeve enable not only positioning of boththe sleeve and working element carried by the ram but also put the partsin position for accomplishing cartridge extraction.

The front end of the ram is constructed so as to interconnect theworking element, as it is being projected in -the barrel, together withthe projected ram and to hold these parts together in interlockingrelationship until high velocity projection and the work -has beencompleted safely. The construction permits disconnection of the element,such as a fastener, only after completion of the tool operation, such asdriving of the fastener. In the event of tool operation under improperconditions this ram construction by coaoting with the barrel and sleeveconstruction holds the parts captive for resisting free ejection in theforward direction and thereby prevents forcible projection of thefastener at dangerous velocities.

In accordance with this invention, the illustrative embodiment of FIGUREl involves a tool having the barrel 220, the ram 221, with fastenerreceiving means 225 and the lbarrel sleeve 240.

The tool in general includes a front housing tube 54, to the rear end ofwhich is fixed a barrel housing collar 51 for slideably carrying thetool barrel 220 of this invention and the tool also includes a rearhousing portion pivotally connected at slot mounted hinge pin 61 to thefront portion of the tool so that these parts, although inseparable, maybe opened and not only pulled apart but also pivoted apart to a limitedextent suilicient to permit loading the tool and discarding the spentpowder cartridge carried in the breech plug and cartridge charnberforming member 250 which is fixed as 'by threads 25th to the barrelsleeve 240.

The front tool portion as described in greater detail in thehereinbefore mentioned patent application includes outer tube 54, collar51, the safety shield 24, safety shield tube 70 and shield compressionspring 26 which together with the shield 24 and its tube 70 arerestrained axially in one direction by the muzzle cap 75 attachedthreadedly to the barrel. There are also included barrel lock elements80 and 82.

The front portion, in addition to hinge 61, is connected in lockedposition by means of lugs 511 coacting with female lugs 30f to the rearportion of the tool which comprises (a) the firing pin housing 30, (b)the outer housing casing 20, which takes the form of and includes apistol type grip including a trigger guard, (c) the firing pin 34, (d)trigger 46 having a sear 46a for receding (e) the tiring pin pawl 42carried by (f) tiring pin 34 so as to protrude laterally and yieldablyunder the action of an internal pawl spring and the sear 46a. The rearportion of the tool further includes pin spring 35, breech block 37slideably mounted in housing 30 and the block spring 38. Also includedis a cooking rod 40 carried on block 37 so that when the tool is pressedagainst the surface worked upon in abutment with the muzzle nut 75 landthe shield 24, the rod 40 abuts pawl 42 and cocks the pin 34 against itsspring 35 until pawl 42 is aligned with sear 46a for recession andresultant release of the pin for tiring the cartridge 5.

The rear end of the barrel includes interrupted threads 22th` forlocking it to the breech block 37 at its threads .37t.

The barrel 220 of this invention includes a front end portion 220e witha reduced barrel bore for guiding the lram and a rear portion with anenlarged barrel bore 22lj.

There is also included a ram retainer ring 23S.

Carried in the barrel is the drivable ram 221 of elongated shapeslideably mounted in the guide bore of barrel portion 220e. The rear endhas an enlarged head 221k a if front shoulder 22iq of which is adaptedin the event of over-drive to ybottom on the barrel shoulder betweenportions 22i0e and 22W and an intermediate shoulder 221x of which isadapted to be regularly acted upon by the sleeve 240 at the sleeveiiange 241.

Ram positioning and cartridge extractor sleeve 240 has the cartridgecarrying plug 256 tixedly carried at its breech portion. In effectsleeve 24d and breech plug 250 also function as parts of the barrelduring the firing of a driving cartridge in the plug.

The sleeve ange 241, as shown in FIGURES l, 5, 6. and 7, extendsradially inwardly but clears the ram stern 221 by a clearance sufficientto pass the front ram shoulder 221g but not the intermediate shoulder221x. The length of the sleeve 240 is such that when the rim of plug 250is seated on the rear end of barrel 226, the flange 241 is spaced onlyslightly from the barrel front portion 220e so that barrel portion 226e,rather than flange 241, is made to take the brunt of the blow in theevent of overdrive. Flange 241 supported by the tubular side wall of thesleeve 240 constrained by the rim of plug 25@ constitutes an abutmentextending between shoulder 221x and the abutment shoulder in the barrelbore between its portions 220e and 2-291 for taking part of the shock inthe event of ram overtravel whereupon shoulder 221x abuts flange 241 andshoulder 22161 abuts the barrel shoulder at the rear of portion 220e.

The shock is still further reduced by a venting orifice 260 in the frontend of sleeve 240 communicating with suitable escape channels in thebarrel, all of which selves to vent the explosive gases just before anover traveling ram would bottom as shown in FIG. I.

The front end of ram 221 is provided with a collet type of structure 225for receiving the working element, i.e., the fastener 11 with eithercaptivation or detachability as shown in FIGURES l and 2. Thisembodiment of the fastener receiving and grasping means is characterizedby fingers 225 forming an integral continuation of the elongated ram 221and tending to spring outwardly an action resisted only by the barrelportion 22de or by the resistance of the surface 1t) in the event ofover-drive as shown in FIGURE 2. The leading edge of each finger 225includes an inward abutment extension 227 and the inner surface isroughened for frictional retention.

The front end of the ram (FIGURE 2) is hollow as well as split as to beadapted to receive a fastener such as one having a penetratingprojectile type anterior portion 1 with a point and also having aposterior portion 3, for further fastening or aiiixing purposes as forthreaded connections, together with an abutting flange 2 back of whichis a circumferential groove 4. It will be understood that the fastenermay take other forms such as a headed stud or a flangeless pin with orwithout rear threads, but in any event it is preferred that the fastenerhave an abutment shoulder of some type equivalent to that occurringbetween ange 2 and groove 4 for coaction with abutment extensions 227.

In FIGURES 3 and 4, the modification of the fastener receiving andholding structure involves fingers 325 which also have an end ange 327forming a segmented ring containing each inner ange or extension such as327x and 327y (FIG. 4) for applying thrust normally and pull in theevent of unexpected lack of resistance to the projection of thefastener. These fingers 325 tend to spring inwardly and the fastenercorresponding is provided with a beveled rear end to facilitate receiptof the fastener.

In both forms the rams 221 or 321 have an inner abutment plug such as223 and 323 respectively having screw slots 224 and 324 for `screwthreaded adjustment to ac'- commodate fasteners of different rear endlengths. Similarly in the form shown in FIGURES 9 and l() there is aplug 423 mounted in the same way for the same purpose.

For heavy-duty driving yor other work, the Working element holder shownin FIGURES 9 and 10 has been found advantageous. Here the ram 422 is amember hollow at aoieysss least at the front with an axial bore, as arethe trams 221 and 321, and having a front abutment flange 427 inwardlyextending except for the angularly cocked opening 42S for receiving andfreeing the fastener. The ram has an inner abutment plug 423 having apolygonally headed end i245 for adjusting the axial position of the plugwhich is screwthreadedly mounted in the ram 422 for varying the ramspace for receiving various lengths of fastener ends.

The tool is capable of various modifications and variations both instructure and operation.

According to one mode of operation, sleeve 224i) has indicator marks EXTfor indicating the minimum retraction of the sleeve for effectingcartridge extraction as shown in FIGURE 6, mark LO for the lowest poweroperation, mark MED for obtaining the medium power level, and mark HIfor the high power level for heavy job installations.

In operation, with the front and rear parts of the tool in open positionand with the front end of the ram protruding from the barrel muzzle theoperator forces a fastener il into the receiving front end of the ramsuch as 225 of ram 221 which is held in place by either the action ofretainer 241 alone or together with the outward spring of fingers 225.Then the operator withdraws the sleeve 244) to a desirable extent asshown in FIGURE 5 so as to position the ram 221 and its captive fasteneril for extracting before they are positioned finally for driving. Nextwith the point of the fastener forced against an appropriate worksurface, the sleeve is pushed home again with resultant creation `ofpneumatic cartridge ejection pressure in the sleeve bore for spentcartridge extraction. Then sleeve 24d is withdrawn to place the ram fordriving, pushed home finally and a loaded cartridge is inserted into thecartridge receiving plug 25d, after which the tool halves may be closedand locked on each other in readiness for operation. The remainingoperation of the tool is as described in the aforementioned patentapplication, but to extricate the driven fastener as shown in FIGURE litis necessary to lift the entire tool from surface until the fastenerreceiver is pulled out from the muzzle toexpose the collet or othermodified structures of the rams front end.

Another mode of operation is that shown in FIGURE 7 where for some typesof operations with fasteners of various penetrating point lengths andwith suitable barrel extensions 220x, the mere push back of the ram 22Eand its captured fastener 11 serves to position the ram and eject thespent cartridge case 5 just prior to reloading with a loaded cartridge 5and closure of the tool halves.

With a further modification it is also possible to modify the ram 321(FIGURE 8) so as to add a rearwardly protruding cartridge extractor pin46% to assure ejection of blown cartridge cases swelled to a swage fitbecause an overload was inadvertently inserted. It stands to reason thatthe pin 400 is short enough so as not to interfiere with cartridgereception even with the longest fasteners and to be adapted to act as apoker for emergency extraction with the aid of any suitable fastener,pin, or extension longer than the longest fastener normally employedwith the tool shown.

FIGURE 11 illustrates a still further modication of the ram sleeve 340by inclusion of a shear flange 341 to minimize the impact in the eventof overdrive of the ram 521 the head 521k of which carries suitable hightemperature resistant sealing and retaining means in the form of aresilient ring of the type shown in the drawing.

Since many other embodiments may occur to those skilled in the art, itis to be understood the foregoing is intended by way of illustration ofan embodiment now believed preferred and not as a limitation of thescope of the present invention except as set forth in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

l. An explosive actuated apparatus for driving a working elementcomprising a barrel, a member axially slideably mounted in the barrelbore in forwardly constrained captive relationship with respect to saidtool barrel fortravel between a forward element driven position of saidmember and a rear ready-to-project adjustable position of said member insaid bore, means -on said member for receiving said element indetachable captive relationship with respect to said member ready fordriving, and control means axially slideably mounted in the rear end ofsaid barrel with telescoping relative movement between said barrel,member and control means, said control means having breech means forreceiving an explosive blank cartridge therein and being adapted in onedirection of said relative movement for manually positioning said memberto a predetermined cartridge extraction position and subsequently to aready-to-project position of said member and its captive element and inthe opposite direction of said movement for manually extracting thespentv cartridge and returning said control means for reception ofanother cartridge for actuation with said member remaining inready-to-project position.

2. The apparatus of claim l for driving a fastener element having anenlargement forming a shoulder thereon, wherein the element receivingmeans of the apparatus includes a rigid tubular receptor the front endof which is recessed to form an axial bore and is inwardly extended onva side to form an eccentrically `offset interior flange for axiallyconstraining said fastener element therein at said shoulder and whereinthe receptor has another bore laterally extending to the opposite sideof said front end and intersecting at an acute angle with said axialbore to clear said eccentric flange for inserting and removing saidelement respectively into and from said axial bore and the axialconstraint of said flange when the element is inserted in said axialbore.

3. The driving apparatus of claim l having the control means on returnin abutment with the barrel and including first abutment means on boththe barrel and the member for mating abutment in the event of a tendencyto overtravel of said member beyondA the forward position and havingsecond abutment means on :said barrel, said member and the slidablecontrol means for mating abutment in the event of said tendency toovertravel, said iirst and second abutment means each receiving part ofthe initial impact of said member upon overtravel.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the second abutment means includesan inwardly extending flange on the control means disposed between thebarrel and member subject to shearing in the event of overtravel toprevent overtravel at dangerously excessive velocity.

5. The driving apparatus of claim l having abutment means on both thebarrel and member and intermediate abutment means on the slidablecontrol means extending between said barrel and member, each of saidmeans being adapted for transmitting part of the impact of stopping saidmember to said barrel in the event of overtravel of said member beyondthe forward position..

6. The driving apparatus of claim 1 wherein the element receiving meansis a forwardly open ended recess in said member and includes acircumferential array of spring ngers carried by said member at saidopen end, each finger being extendable inwardly around said recess forholding said element back in said recess in driving abutment, andwherein the inner end of the recess is closed by a plug threadedlycarried on said member for driving abutment with said element with axial.adjustability for varying the length of element accommodation in saidrecess.

7. In a fastener projecting tool of the explosive actuated type, abarrel having a bore adapted to receive a fastener, said barrel havingan enlargement of the bore adjacent the breech thereof, a tubular breechmember slidably mounted in said enlargement for axial movement between aforward ready-to-project position and a rearward extended position andadapted for receiving an explosive blank cartridge, a fastener drivingpiston mounted in both said barrel bore and the tubular breech member inforwardly constraining captive relationship with respect to said barrelin axially slidable relationship between a forward position whereat thefront end of said piston protrudes in exposed relationship from themuzzle of said barrel and a predetermined ready-to-project rearwardposition, retention means yieldably retaining said piston with respectto said barrel at any given axial position, said piston having means onthe front end thereof for receiving said fastener in said bore innormally captive relationship with respect to said piston and indetachable relationship when said end protrudes, said tubular breechmember having a manually engageable portion extending rearwardly fromsaid barrel, both said member and piston having mating abutting portionsengageable with each other as said member is moved toward its extendedposition for moving said piston from its forward position as saidretention means yields, whereby said breech member may be withdrawn withrespect to said barrel and moved therealong to adjustably position saidpiston and received fastener within the barrel at said ready-to-projectposition and whereby said member may then be repositioned forwardly tosaid forward position with respect to said barrel into cartridge loadingand actuating position while leaving said piston member retained inready-'to-project position. l

8. in a working element driving tool of the explosive actuated type, abarrel having a bore adapted to receive said element, said barrel havingan enlargement of the bore adjacent the breech thereof and joined tosaid bore by a barrel shoulder, a tubular breech member slidabl; mountedin said enlargement for axial relativemovement between a forwardready-to-drive position and a rearward extended position and adapted atits rear end for receiving a piston driving explosive propellantcartridge, said member having a driving bore, an element driving pistonrnovably mounted in said barrel bore and having an enlarged piston headslidably received in said driving bore in the tubular breech member forretention of said piston in forwardly constrained captive relationshipwith respect to said barrel in axially slidable relationship between aforward driven position and a predetermined ready-todrive rearwardposition, said piston having means on the front end thereof forreceiving said working element 1n normally attached relationship, bothsaid member and piston head having abutable mating portions forengagement with each other in the direction of relative movement of saidmember and barrel f-or moving said piston to said predetermined positionand in the direction of driven movement of said piston driven forward bysaid cartridge in said barrel and said member in said forward position,said abutable portion of said member being a disposable insert mountedin ixed position in the driving bore of said member spaced from itsfront end, said insert being shearable in the event of excessive drivenmovement of the piston and forceful abutment between said portions.

9. An explosive actuated driving apparatus comprising a cylinder havinga bore and an enlargement thereof joined by a shoulder, a sleeve in saidenlargement for movement between a normal received position adjacentsaid shoulder to an extended position, said sleeve having an explosivebarrel chamber, a piston forming a movable wall of said bore and havinga head in said chamber, said sleeve having an abutment a'nge extendingbetween said shoulder and head, said piston being movable by said flangeacting on said head to an adjustable normal retracted position when saidsleeve is moved to said extended position for adjustingA said chamberand said normal retracted position for piston movement therefrom by saidexplosive to a forward piston position adjacent said ange of said sleevein said normal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kopfet al. Feb. 23,

